Reference Resources: Government Health Agencies

AHRQ is responsible for supporting research designed to improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of healthcare in the United States while providing information that helps consumers make better healthcare decisions.

CDER assures that safe and effective drugs are available. This site includes the latest information on drug safety, news, the Drug Code directory, Orange Book, and shortages.

Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations governs the manufacture, export and import, production and labeling of food and drugs in the United States.

Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations specifies regulations pertaining to public health, patient confidentiality, quarantine, interstate shipment of etiologic agents, organ procurement, and medical facility construction.

Data.gov increases the ability of the public to easily find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the Federal Government. Data.gov provides descriptions of the Federal datasets (metadata), information about how to access the datasets, and tools that leverage government datasets.

The Orange Book identifies drug products approved on the basis of safety and effectiveness by the Food and Drug Administration under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Note: Updated monthly.

This site from the National Health Information Center provides contact information and a brief description of numerous federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions that provide health information. Note: list changes annually.

FDA is the federal government’s premier agency assigned with the task of ensuring that food and drugs are safe for human consumption, blood and blood products are safe for transfusions, medical devices are safe and effective, and transplanted tissues are safe.

The MMWR weekly contains data on specific diseases as reported by state and territorial health departments and reports on infectious and chronic diseases, environmental hazards, occupational diseases and injuries.

The National Cancer Institute coordinates and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.

NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals.

NCHS is the US Government’s principal health statistics agency; compiling data from and on behalf of numerous agencies on a variety of subjects including, vital statistics and records, data sets, classification of diseases, and research.

NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency who promotes standards, measurement, and technology in projects that help develop the nation’s infrastructure, promotes excellence among healthcare providers, and accelerates development of technologies. Visitors have access to numerous NIST databases in fields of chemistry, biometrics and biotechnology, and analytical chemistry.

The NIH is the primary federal institution responsible for conducting and supporting medical research through grants, training, and other initiatives.

NTIS is the largest central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information.

Official site providing visitors with access to public testimony, press releases, health bulletins, and links to resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Official site providing users with access to current information on various diseases and conditions, cancer mapping information, physician profiles, grant and funding opportunities, statistical resources, and legal resources in New York state.

A list of New York State laws and regulations pertaining directly to drugs, drug delivery, and distribution.

Collaborative effort between U.S. government agencies, public health organizations, and health sciences libraries aimed to help the public health workforce find and use information for improving the public's health.

Science.gov provides a gateway to information resources in science and technology at the US government science agencies.

agency responsible for the health of all Americans and providing essential health services especially to those in greatest need. The Web site provides users with access to medical dictionaries and encyclopedias, publications on numerous health topics, information on available grants and fellowships, and healthcare policies and regulations.

Official directory to the US Government providing links to all available government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. There is also a subject directory and a list of online services including vital records, passport information, and finding government grants.

Office established in order to protect inventors by securing exclusive rights to their discoveries for a period of time. USPTO site allows you to search issued patents and applications, file for a patent or trademark, and print forms and publications.